God Bless Japan!

We enjoyed our trip to Japan, Nippon, the land of the rising sun. 

My nephew uses his chopsticks to drum his plate as we prepare for our Japanese feast.

Origami, chopsticks, geta (Japanese wooden platform shoes) on a beautiful red tablecloth (we'll ignore that it's our Christmas tablecloth) set the tone.

This chicken stew, called torisuki, was delicious and included scallions, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. We served it over rice.

Sesame broccoli called for just four ingredients: broccoli, soy sauce, sesame seeds and a little bit of sugar. Historian threw it together for us and it was quite tasty.

We intentionally waited until my sister-in-law, a true Japanophile, and family could come to visit to put together this feast. My sister-in-law, who lived in Japan for two years, was a big help with the cooking.

The first course, miso soup, has been served. You start with cold noodles, pour hot miso broth over it, and top with shredded chicken. Our miso paste was a bit strong for us, but we enjoyed the experience.

My in-laws headed to a Japanese food store to pick up mochi for dessert. It came in three flavors: plain, strawberry and green tea.

This ichthyoid dessert was also contributed by my in-laws.

Our fish didn't have bones; rather, it was filled with red bean paste, not a dessert filling typically found in the U.S. It lacked sweetness, but it wasn't bad at all.

My sister-in-law eats natto, fermented soy beans. I tried a spoonful and it looks much worse than it tastes.

We were delighted to celebrate the nation of Japan and pray for its people. Perhaps some day we'll get to visit in person, but for now, we must say, "Sayonara." 

God Bless China

So we didn't get to cook for our China feast, but we did seize the opportunity to try a local Chinese take-out spot. Kung Pao Chicken, Lo Mein, Egg Rolls and Fried Rice were some of our choices. We were glad to have the company of our family friend and mother's helper, A.

A few days later, the children's department of our local library celebrated Chinese New Year. 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Here, Historian and Lizard are trying out Tangrams, a Chinese puzzle game.

Butterfly and her friend make paper chain snakes in honor or the Year of the Snake.

The kids got to have their own Chinese Dragon Parade.

God Bless India!

Namaste!

Perhaps our favorite stop on our world travels this year, thus far, was in India. India holds a very special place in our hearts, as we have been privileged to have many dear friends over the years who come from India. Our youngest has often declared that she believes she has been called to live in India some day, taking care of orphans. In the meantime, we have been "family," through Compassion, to Elissa, from the rural community of Upper Sahi (Dambo) in India, for about 10 years.

See how Ellisa has grown!

Elissa when we began sponsorship.

We learned many things about India during our "stay." India is about one-third the size of the United States, with approximately four times the population (there are more than a billion Indians). This has earned India the claim to having the second largest population of any country (China has the largest) and one out of about every six of the world's people lives in India! About 80 percent of the population is Hindu. There are thousands, perhaps one million, Hindu gods. On Maha Kumbh Mela, Hindus will wash in the Ganges to rid themselves of sin. We learned about castes, reincarnation and that cows are sacred in Hinduism. There are 18 official languages in India, but more than 1500 are spoken.

The colors of the Indian flag are saffron, white and dark green. The wheel in the center is an ancient symbol called the Dharma Chakra (Wheel of Law). India is home to the smaller-eared Asiatic elephants, which live mostly in Northern India. Their trainers are called mahouts. Sikh boys never cut their hair. However, Hindu babies have their heads shaved because it is believed by Hindus that it is unlucky to keep the hair with which you are born. The Taj Mahal was built by an emperor for his wife. Bindis, colored dots worn between the eyes of women, can be different colors to match an outfit. India's rail system has more trains and train stations and carries more passengers than any other country in the world. Bharat Natyam is 2000 years old and is a serious dance art form, telling a story with the hands, eyes and neck positions. India produces more films than any other country in the world. Films featuring singing and dancing are especially popular.

Kathakali is a classical dance form in India, known for its elaborate costuming and make-up. Here, the girls have tried their hand at applying kathakali make-up.



Every year, Indians celebrate a festival called Raksha Bandhan, during which brothers and sisters affirm their relationships with one another. The girls tie a bracelet to their brothers' wrists who, in return, promise to love, protect and help their sisters.  Historian was not available (or willing... I can't remember) for our version of this ceremony, so the girls tied a bracelet to our dog Hank's "wrist." Certainly, he loves his "sisters." It remains to be seen whether or not he will help or protect them, but that's OK.

For our feast day, held January 26, which is also India's Republic Day, we invited VCU, church and work friends, all from India. We decorated with an Indian flag and table runner, dupattas (long scarves) and an elephant figurine.

Rajesh, Lester and Siddarth

Solomon, Jasmin, Arjoo and Dolly



Arjoo, both a history buff and a music enthusiast, shared many fascinating things about India with us, and brought Indian music for us to enjoy as well. 

Solomon brought this exquisite representation of the Taj Mahal and made us feel as if we were standing before the actual monument, as he vividly shared information about its features and history.

Dolly, in her gorgeous sari, with her beautiful son.

Siddarth, Pranovaa and Lester.

Arjoo and Solomon.

Jasmin, Dolly and Butterfly.

Solomon and Jasmin's older son.

Siddarth, Pranovaa and Lester.

We had some really wonderful conversations about India, its history and culture. It was interesting to hear perspectives of the different generations present. Ironically, we felt a bit like the ones in a foreign land as, on occasion, we looked quizzically on as our guests laughed or nodded their heads at various things spoken that only someone who had lived in India would understand. We loved every minute of it!

Earlier in the week, I had attempted to wrap the girls in saris.

Fortunately, our sweet friend Pranovaa had bought dupattas for the girls and showed us the proper way to wrap them.

The kurta and scarf I am wearing are also gifts from Pranovaa.

India. It is a country that is incredibly diverse. It has contributed vast amounts of culture, religion, art and science to our world. We hope we will some day be able to truly visit India, to begin to further appreciate its beauty. Until then, we will keep India and the people from India who we have come to call our friends close to our hearts.